Religious persecution Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Religious persecution - Essay Example In regard to these, there exist three different forms of religious facets that are of particular vitality in defining religion (Gunn 392). These are: religion as a belief, religion as an identity and religious as a way of life. In any religious persecution or discrimination, any of these three facets might come into play. On the other hand, a combination of all the there faces might sometimes take the center stage. Although the three facets are the ones most commonly associated with religious persecutions and conflicts, other facets of religion not identified here can also be of some relevance. The definition of faith as a belief is based on the convictions that people have concerning God, honest, truth or faith doctrines (Hamlet 265). A religion based on belief emphasizes the adherence to doctrines such as the five pillars of Islam, the transmigration of souls and the Nicene Creed among others. Typically, belief religion is characterized by the emphasis on understanding religious doctrines. Belief based religion is enhanced by conversion and adoption of new doctrines of belief. According to Gunn, from the perspective of the persecutor, the religious behaviors of others are considered as heresy and blasphemy and are therefore superstitiously held. Consequently, the religious leaders of the targeted religion are considered as false prophets, cult leaders and tricksters. In some instances, the whole group is subjected to persecution even if the group shares the same ethnicity with the persecutors. Good examples are cases from countries like Pakistan, Egypt and Iran (Gunn 394). The definition of religion as an identity is based on affiliation to a particular group (Hamlet 267). In this instance, a given religion is associated with a family, a tribe, an ethnic group, race, nationality or statehood. In identity religion, followers believe that they were born in their religion and did not just subscribe to it as

Effective Presentation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Effective Presentation - Essay Example Leveraging reputation many times means reminding others of one’s past perhaps through stories. Character shows that one is a 3 dimensional human, with a few flaws. It presents them as affected by the same problems and pressures as others and then shows their virtue and values. Credibility depends on expertise and how this is portrayed. For people to believe you, they need to see that you believe in yourself. It requires one to talk as if they cannot be challenged and shows others to look up to them. Pathos appeals to the emotions of those listening, seeking to excite them or rouse their interests. One can do this by appealing to the values of the people. For example, one can tell stories of poor values and how they harmed innocent people. Most people involved in dubious charity organizations to uplifting the living standards of the poor in developing countries, use pathos to convince their sponsors. Ethos is then used to show ones values and how important other people are to you. The approach, though very inhumane, seems to work as people in developing countries have become rich through using funny methods such as the poor as their stepping stone to richness. You can also work with their goals and interests and perhaps challenge their beliefs. It involves use of language to affect emotions. Touching on the emotions of the people is the easiest way to win them over, and this trait makes pathos a great way of persuasion. Logos focuses on the argument. It uses cool logic and rational explanations and evidences to convince listeners. Scientific proof is based on empirical evidence so that if one argues without evidence, a scientist would dismiss the argument as metaphysical. Evidence cannot be refuted, it is difficult to deny without bringing up the question of its validity. It can include statistics, pictures or even recounted experience. It may also be evoked when giving evidence to give

Insider Trading Essay Example for Free

Insider Trading Essay Our era aptly has been styled, and well may be remembered as, the age of information. Francis Bacon recognized nearly 400 years ago that knowledge is power, (Nickels ,McHugh 2011) â€Å"Insider trading is an unethical activity in which insiders use private company information to further their own fortunes or those of their families or friends†. Pg.101 Insider trading is a term that includes both legal and illegal conduct. The legal version is when corporate insiders—officers, directors, and employees—buy and sell stock in their own companies. Illegal insider trading refers generally to buying or selling a security, in breach of a fiduciary duty or other relationship of trust and confidence, while in possession of material, nonpublic information about the security. (Agnello Donnelley 1975) Stated if every member of a community has unlimited access to the resources of the community, then the communitys resources soon will be used up unless they happen to be available in infinite supply. The system of private ownership of assets, by contrast, effectively can use the price system to ration the assets in such a way as to preserve them properly and to benefit all members of the community. pg. 521 The Insider Trading Debate Arthur Levitt stated in 1998 that more Americans were investing in the stock market than ever before and Americans had almost twice as much money invested in the stock market as in commercial banks. The illegal version of insider trading most of us think of; is the type of insider trading that achieved wide-spread in the 1980’s with the SECs civil cases and the United States Department of Justices criminal cases against Michael Milken and Ivan Boesky which inspired even Hollywoods imagination with the movie Wall Street. It is the trading that takes place when those privileged with confidential information about important events use the special advantage of that knowledge to reap profits or avoid losses on the stock market, to the detriment of the source of the information and to the typical investors who buy or sell their stock without the advantage of inside information. According to ( Manne 1966) â€Å"Some argue that insider trading is a legitimate form of compensation for corporate employees, permitting lower salaries that, in turn, benefit shareholders. It provides an incentive to innovation, some argue, by promising huge rewards for developing a plan or product that will lead to a precipitous rise in the stock†. (Easterbrook 1985). Found that â€Å"Members of the legal community denounce the practice of insider trading. They view insider trading as an unethical abuse of power by corporate officers and directors. people who have invested resources to develop their human capital to better assimilate information, or corporate officers and directors are always going to have superior access to information†. The case of USA vs Raj Rajaratnam An excellent example referring to insider trading would be the Raj Rajaratnam incident. (Belczyk U.S. Attorney’s Office 2011). A federal jury in the US District Court for the Southern District of New York found that Galleon Group hedge fund founder Raj Rajaratnam orchestrated the largest hedge fund insider trading case in US history and convicted Rajaratnam on all 14 counts of insider trading including; five counts of conspiracy to commit securities fraud and nine counts of committing securities fraud from 2003 to March 2009. In just over 18th months, this office has charged 47 individuals with insider trading crimes; Rajaratnam is the 35 person to be convicted. On Oct. 2011 Rajaratnam was sentenced to 11 years in prison In addition to his prison term, Rajaratnam was sentenced to two years of supervised release and ordered to pay forfeiture in the amount of $53,816,434 and a $10 million fine. RAJARATNAM will surrender to authorities on November 28, 2011. (Richey 2011) On Janu ary 20, 2011 Danielle Chiesi was arrested in 2009 along with Galleon Group hedge fund founder Raj Rajaratnam. After pleading guilty in connection with the case and was accused of communicating non-public information about IBM Corporation, Advanced Microdevices (AMD) and Sun Microsystems (now Sun-Oracle) in 2008 and 2009 to her superiors at New Castle Funds LLC, a Manhattan-based investment advisory company formerly part of Bear Stearns. Danielle was accused of using the information to reap more than $4 million in illegal profits for New Castle. Danielle Chiesi admitted to exploiting her access to valuable non-public information to reap $1.7 million in illegal gains. By sharing and conspiring to trade on inside information, Chiesi compromised the companies she sold out and distorted the market for their stocks. (Richey 2011) Former IBM senior vice president Robert Moffat was sentenced to six months in prison in September and ordered him to pay a $50,000 fine for his role in the scheme after pleading guilty in March 2010. Former Intel Capital executive Rajiv Goel pleaded guilty to insider trading charges in February 2010. Rajaratnam, Chiesi, Goel and Moffat were arrested in October 19, 2009 and charged along with two other individuals and two business entities with insider trading. The complaint alleged that the individuals provided Galleon Group and another hedge fund with material nonpublic information about several corporations upon which the funds traded, generating $25 million in illicit gain. References Agnello Donnelley, Property Rights and EJjiciency in the Oyster Industry, 18 J.L. ECON. (1975) pg. 521 Easterbrook, Insider Trading as an Agency Problem, in PRINCIPALS AND AGENTS: THE STRUCTURE OF BUSINESS (Pratt Zeckhauser eds. 1985). Pg. 330 Henry B. Manne, Insider Trading and the Stock Market (1966) (insider trading increases market efficiency because it produces desirable incentives on corporate managers). Retrieved from: http://www.sec.gov/news/speech/speecharchive/1966speech.shtml Jaclyn Belczyk U.S. ATTORNEYS OFFICE(2011) May 11, 2011. Retrieved from: http://jurist.org/paperchase/2011/05/us-hedge-fund-founder-convicted-of-insider-trading.php Jurist Legal News Research (2011): Jaclyn Belczyk, Daniel Richey Retrieved from: http://jurist.org Testimony of Arthur Levitt Concerning Appropriation for Fiscal Year 1999; March 19, 1998 Before the Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, State and Judiciary of the Senate Committee Appropriations. Retrieved from: http://www.sec.gov/news/speech/speecharchive/1998/spch221.htm Understanding Business Nickels, McHugh, McHugh pg. 101 United States Attorney Southern District of New York (2011), U.S. ATTORNEYS OFFICE ELLEN DAVIS, CARLY SULLIVAN,JERIKA RICHARDSON,EDELI RIVERAPUBLIC INFORMATION OFFICE: Retrieved from: http://www.justice.gov/usao/nys/pressreleases/May11/rajaratnamrajverdictpr.pd

Lundie Conservation Area Analysis

Lundie Conservation Area Analysis Introduction The purpose of this document is to identify the character and appearance of the Lundie conservation area and also to define special qualities of architectural and historic interest. This document is seeking to find out if the area merits being considered as a Conservation Area and the protection it merits. This information will be used to manage change in the Conservation area to ensure its preservation or enhancement. The character analysis in this document, together with Angus Council’s Development Plan and Advice Notes that relate to development in conservation areas, will inform the assessments of development proposals and other changes against the impact on the character or appearance as stated in the Planning Act, 1997 under the Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas. There are major parts of the character and appearance of Lundie that cannot be overlooked that, they need to be stated as guidelines for designers and developers to conform to. Character appraisals provide the opportunity to inform residents about the special needs and characteristics of the area and help developers identify and formulate development proposals. 1.1 Purpose of the Guidance This appraisal will be a tool which be used to control and manage and also help to point out the special interest and also be abreast with the changes in the area. It serves as supplementary planning guidance to the Angus area council. The design guidance established will aid the assessment of development proposals. 1.2 Objectives of the Guidance The character appraisal will; Provide background information regarding the historical and architectural interest of Lundie, in particular the conservation area Review the existing conservation area Help local authorities to develop a management plan for the conservation area by analysing what is positive and negative, and identify opportunities for beneficial change or the need for additional protection and restraint. 1.3 Methodology Visual Analysis and Art-Historical Analysis was used in this document to appraise the character of Lundie conservation area. Aesthetic, Perceptive and Phenomenological Analysis was used as the basis for the general Visual analysis. It, thus, is an attempt to relate judgment from visual analysis through what was experienced with my eyes by moving through the conservation area, navigating my way from one place to another by identifying landmarks and also by looking at the emotional and conceptual connections co notated through the ‘meaning’ of the place and ‘structure’ of the place to the particular assessment criteria such as scenic beauty, what makes the place deserve the status of a conservational area, architectural interests, archaeological interests and community historic preference. The main purpose of this kind of study is to identify, measure, and evaluate the characteristics or qualities of Lundie Conservation area. Art-Historical Analysis was also u sed to analyse historical and monumental interests in the area by recording the historical, archaeological and architectural character. Existing literature on Lundie conservation area was also consulted. Though realising the fact that analysis by aesthetic qualities is very personal, depending highly on the individual’s taste and socializing experiences, using the other forms of analysis mentioned above which in is not subjective but to some extent objective, helped to achieve a balanced character appraisal. 1.4 Location and Setting Lundie is a parish and small hamlet in Angus, Scotland, 10 miles (16km) northwest of Dundee, situated at the head of the Dighty valley in the Sidlaws, off the A923 Dundee to Coupar Angus road. In 1882-4, Frances Groomes Ordnance Gazetteer of Scotland described Lundie like this, â€Å"Lundie, a village and a parish of SW Forfarshire. The village stands 3 miles WSW of Auchterhouse station, 6 ESE of Coupar-Angus, and 9 NW by W of Dundee, under which it has a post office. The parish is bounded N by Newtyle, E by Auchterhouse, S by Fowlis-Easter in Perthshire, and W by Kettins. Its utmost length, from W by N to E by S, is 4 miles; its utmost breadth is 3 miles; and its area is 4296  ¼ acres, of which 1075/6 are water†. 1.5 Reason for Designation This is an area of special architectural or historic interest, the character or appearance of which it is desirable to preserve or enhance. The Conservation Area will consist of the whole village of Lundie, including: — The Manse, Smithy Cottage, Gamekeepers Cottage, (The Edinburgh Gazette 27 September 1991). Lundie has significant architectural and historic interest as. The Lundie parish church which was dedicated to St Lawrence was once the property of the priory of St Andrews. Inside the church is a War memorial plaque commemorating parishioners who died in World War 1. Preserving and enhancing these key features led to the designation of the whole village of Lundie as a Conservation Area in 1991. 1.6 Lundie Conservation Area and The Conservation Area Boundary Lundie Conservation Area was designated on 8th of July, 1991 (The Edinburgh Gazette 27 September 1991) and an Article 4 put in place on the 16th of September, 1992. (The Edinburgh Gazette 20 October 1992) Using the Church as the pivot, the conservation area encompasses the main Lundie village where most of the properties are. It starts from the Smitty Cottage on the north-western side, goes around the Sawmill Cottage on the north then down to Kirkton FarM Cottage. It continues down to the Old School all the way to Oaksydix building on the south-eastern side, then around the Lundie Mill and goes up along the road to Rowanholme building. It then goes down along the road on the left towards the Manse building to the south. It then goes up north to the Well and then extends to the right towards the Village Hall past the Pump to Smitty Cottage. 1.7 Conservation Areas More than 600 conservation areas are in Scotland and of this, 19 are under the Angus Council. Conservation areas can be said to be places within or the entire village, town or city which contain areas of special historic or architectural character which needs protection or enhancement. They are designated by planning authority as being areas of special architectural or historic interest, the character or appearance of which they have the desire to preserve or enhance. These interests create the character of an area and any new development should be carefully assessed to ensure that it if permitted, will blend into the character of the area and not cause a blight on the character of the area. Designating a conservation area should not be seen as prohibiting change but as a means to carefully manage change to ensure the character and appearance of these areas are safeguarded and enhanced for the enjoyment and benefit of future generations. The public are consulted on any proposals to d esignate conservation areas or change their boundaries. The management of conservation areas is under the management of the local authority it falls under. 1.8 The Legal and Policy Framework Conservation areas identification can be traced back to the coming into force of the Civic Amenities Act, 1967. The government BY then recognised how important it was to protect areas in totality as against individual buildings, from indiscriminate developments and wide scale demolition of buildings in areas selected for slum clearances. Therefore, while individual buildings of special or unique characteristics may be of important, what should be considered is the group value of the buildings in the area, the buildings orientation, street design, public space and greenery which all contribute to the character and identity of a place. Considering it carefully, these same factors make up or come together to form the character of a conservation area. This 1967 law is now one way or the other replicated in The Town and Country Planning Act, 1990 and The Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act of 1990. The Planning Act of 1990 empowers local planning authorities to review a lready existing conservation areas within their jurisdiction, designating new areas and coming up with character appraisal or place analysis and management plan proposals for the protection, preservation and enhancement of these conservation areas. Consent is required from the appropriate authority for any activity that is going to change or in any way affect the character of the area. The character or appearance of a conservation area through the demolition of a building and/or the construction of a new building can be significantly altered and lose some of the justification for its designation. 1.9 Conservation Areas in Angus There are currently 19 Conservation Areas in Angus of which Lundie Conservation Area is part of and six of them including Lundie conservation area have Article 4 Directions on them. The Article 4 Directions are further ways of making sure that these conservation areas maintain their character and uniqueness. There are additional laws that control the way in which buildings can be altered and planning permission is needed if such alterations are deemed to affect the character of the conservation area and trees in conservation areas are no exception. Angus Council is committed to preparing character appraisals for all the conservation areas under it and in addition it also publishes guidance on matters affecting these conservation areas. A planning application which is seen to have the potential to disrupt the character of a Conservation Area must be published in the local press and a notice posted near the site. Angus Council must then give a 21 day period for objections and comments to be put across before considering the application.

Pulp Fiction Narrative :: essays research papers

Pulp Fiction is a controversial film, written and directed by Quentin Tarantino, in 1994. It has almost everything you could wish for in a movie; drama, hilarity, intensity, action, thrills, fun, intelligence, romance, intimacy, over-the-top bravado, vulgarity, sweetness, humor, and soul-searching. The film is very raw and brutal, but has a unique sense of style that keeps the viewers entertained. It will build its way up gradually to an incredibly intense scene, before dropping down to a relatively calm, only to build back up again a few scenes later. This goes on throughout the entire course of the film, pummeling the viewer from one scenario to another. In Pulp Fiction we see how Vincent (John Travolta) and the dealer are bringing Mia (Uma Thurman) back to life, after she had an overdose. In a medium shot the dealer explains to Vincent what to do. While the dealer is counting to three, the camera zooms into even tighter close ups of Vincent and Mia's face, the needle where the adrenaline is dribbling off, and the dealer and his pierced girlfriend's face. This effect is used to show how nervous the dealer is, how much his pierced girlfriend enjoys this spectacle, and how afraid Vincent is. The spectator is able to identify with all these emotions. According to the feminist film theorist, Laura Mulvey, one of the most important pleasures of the classical narrative is identification. This is send to occur when the spectator narcissistically identifies with an idealized figure on screen, typically a male hero whose actions determine the narrative, in a process that recapitulates the discovery of the image of oneself in the mirror phase. For the scene just discussed, the idealized figure is Vincent, whom the spectators personally identifies with. Then, to even increase the tension of this extraordinary scene, the camera zooms into the place where the needle has to push in, while there is no noise at all. As Vincent pushes the needle down, the camera shows Mia's opening eyes in a close up shot, while the diegetic sound of the needle stabbed in her heart makes us believe that we have seen the crucial moment. The graphic violence of how the needle is pushed into her heart is again elliptical. In a medium shot we then see Mia screaming. Nevertheless, Quentin Tarantino's films show plenty of violence. In Pulp Fiction there is for example a homosexual rape, the hit-men killing their victims, and a man having his head accidentally shot off in a car.

Eating Disorders And Substance Abuse Essay -- Weight Loss Health Essay

Eating Disorders And Substance Abuse Common Eating Disorders: The two most common eating disorders are bulimia nervosa and anorexia nervosa. Both disorders, primarily affect young women, therefore the majority of the research on eating disorders has been done with women subjects. The onset of bulimia is between adolescence and early adulthood while the onset of anorexia is between early and late adolescence. Not only is the onset different but the disorders are unique. Bulimia nervosa is characterized by loss of control over eating which leads to food binges. These episodes are interspersed with episodes of purging, such as vomiting or laxative abuse, to keep weight down. The goal of anorexia is also to keep weight down , but to a more severe extent. Anorexia nervosa is marked by "a relentless pursuit of thinness, intense fears of becoming fat, and a distorted body image" (Lilenfeld 1996). There is a substantial weight loss and amenorrhea. These changes occur by either restriction of food intake which is labeled restrictive anorexia, or starvat ion with bouts of purging which is labeled binge eating/purging anorexia. Studies of Eating Disordered Individuals And Substance Abuse: The causes and issues underlying eating disorders still remain, for the most part, a mystery. For this reason much investigation has gone into any issues which may be related to eating disorders. The topic which will be analyzed in this paper is the comorbidity of eating disorders and drug/alcohol abuse. In a review of fifty-one studies by Lilenfeld and Kaye, rates of alcohol/drug abuse were found to differ significantly among restricting anorexics, binge eating/purging anorexics and bulimics. "Depending on the study analyzed, the rates of... ...of dual diagnosis. Therefore different and varied treatment programs are used in hopes of improving this problem. In essence, treatment of dual diagnosis is still a guessing game. Works Cited: Lilenfeld, L. & Kaye, W. (1996). The Link Between Alcoholism and Eating Disorders. Alcohol Health and Research World, 20, 94- . Schuckit, M. , Tipp, J. , Anthenelli, R. & Bucholz. K. (1996). Anorexia Nervosa and Bulimia Nervosa in Alcohol Dependent Men and Women and their Relatives. The American Journal of Psychiatrity, 153, 75- . Strober, M. , Freeman, R. ,Bower, S. ,& Rigali, J. (1996). Binge Eating in Anorexia Nervosa Predicts Later Onset of Substance Use Disorder. Journal of Youth and Adolescence, 25, 519- . Varner, l. (1995). Dual diagnosis: Patients with Eating and Subatance Related Disorders. Journal of the American Dietic Association, 95, 224- .

Fiction Analysis of a&P and the Lesson Essay

The theme of desire has been portrayed in many novels and stories. Perhaps the most well-known depiction of desire can be found in the Bible. In the Book of Genesis, a snake tempts Adam and Eve to eat the forbidden fruit of the Tree of Knowledge after he convinces them that they will gain God’s knowledge of good and evil and be protected from death. Despite God’s word to not eat of the fruit, Adam and Eve did so anyway. Surely, this story portrays temptation; however, beyond the theme of temptation lays the theme of desire. Knowing it was wrong, Adam and Eve ate the fruit because they had the desire for what the snake promised them. Similarly, Toni Cade Bambara and John Updike also display the theme of desire in their short stories. In â€Å"The Lesson† by Bambara and â€Å"A&P† by Updike, character, setting, and point of view are utilized to project the theme of desire. Though â€Å"The Lesson† and â€Å"A&P† take place in vastly different environments, a ghetto in New York and a quaint New England sea-side town, respectively, little separates the symbolic meaning of the setting. The protagonists of both short stories really have no yearn to be in their current surroundings. Sylvia in â€Å"The Lesson† describes her neighborhood as foul smelling. It was so bad â€Å"you couldn’t halfway play hide-and-seek without a goddamn gas mask† (Bambara 1). Likewise, Sammy in â€Å"A&P† compares the costumer at his checkout lane to a witch. Within the first few paragraphs of both stories, one can tell that both Sylvia’s and Sammy’s atmospheres are not what they wish. Both the ghetto in which Sylvia lives and the grocery store in which Sammy works symbolize misery. Through the tone of the characters, one can gather that neither is happy and they wish for something greater. Without these particular settings that Bambara and Updike chose, the stories would have no meaning. For instance, if Bambara set Sylvia in a prestigious and wealthy neighborhood, there would be no narrative. â€Å"The Lesson† then would be a useless tale of a girl’s trip to a toy store. No underlying themes or symbols would be present. The setting is very important in both stories in that it defines not only the plot, but the characters themselves. Sylvia and Sammy are products of their environments. Being in an unpleasant environment would definitely put any individual on edge. Because both characters are unhappy with their surroundings, both are quite cynical. Aside from comparing one customer to a witch, Sammy also refers to others as â€Å"sheep† and points out â€Å"house-slaves in pin curlers† (Updike 3). Sylvia is also cynical in the way she talks of Miss Moore. At a point, Sylvia states that she is a â€Å"nappy-head[ed] bitch†, which in no means is a proper way for anyone, let alone a child, to speak (Bambara 1). Despite being so cynical, the reader finds that both characters have another side as well. When faced with desire, Sylvia’s and Sammy’s mannerism changes. The reader sees Sylvia in a whole new way when she sets eyes on the fiberglass sailboat. In fact, Sylvia’s entire persona changes. Not only is she dumbfounded by the price of the sailboat, but she is awestruck by its greatness. She grows quite mad about the price; nonetheless, this is the beginning of the change of her character and train of thought. This is where she realizes the economic imbalance of the world. Similarly to how Sylvia was taken by the sailboat, Sammy is captivated by the girls’ physical appearance, especially Queenie. This is made evident by the imagery of the text from his physical description of them. Bambara and Updike especially, quite effectively use the characters’ point of view to further engage the reader to explore for theme. In â€Å"A&P† and â€Å"The Lesson†, both protagonists narrate the story in first person. This is especially important because the reader better connects with the character. One can better relate when they feel as if they are part of the plot. With Updike’s combination of first person point of view and powerful imagery, one not only feels like they are there, but they can picture it as well. The reader can visualize the girls walking through the maze of isles in the store. Every detail Updike sketches is important, even the â€Å"two smoothest scoops of vanilla† Sammy sees in Queenie’s top-piece (Updike 6). This tells the reader that Sammy is not an experienced lover. He is running wild with his thoughts and can barely control himself. Sammy is enthralled by Queenie and the other girls. So much, in fact, that he quits his job after Lengel, the manager, ridicules the girls about wearing proper attire when entering a grocery store. This particular event shows the true desire Sammy has for these girls and their attention. Likewise, Sylvia has a true desire to change her ascribed status. The reader sees this when Sylvia states â€Å"ain’t nobody gonna beat me at nuthin† at the end of the story (Bambara 6). Sylvia becomes a dynamic character with this statement. Influenced by her desire for the Fifth Avenue world, like purchasing the sailboat, Sylvia makes a vow that she is going to change. She has the desire to leave the ghetto, to be something greater than the ghetto. She is going to strive for the rewards of Fifth Avenue she so much desires. Although the central theme of â€Å"The Lesson† and â€Å"A&P† may be something more than desire, Updike and Bambara definitely portray it through setting, character, and point of view. Perhaps even more interesting are the characters themselves. They seem almost life-like because of their relatability. It is conceivable that the protagonists in these stories by Updike and Bambara are the authors themselves. Toni Cade Bambara grew up in Harlem, a setting very close to that found in â€Å"The Lesson† (Schirack) and John Updike lived in a seaside-town in Massachusetts, eerily similar to the setting of â€Å"A&P† (Moyer). It is very possible that these short stories contain characters based off the authors. It is also quite possible that these stories are actual life events that occurred while the two were still living. It is certainly very interesting to think about the fact that the characters could be linked to the authors in some way and what other influences life events may have had on other pieces by the authors. Works Cited Bambara, Toni Cade. â€Å"The Lesson. † Blackboard. ed. ENG 102-329. Ed. Gina Yanuzzi. Mount Laurel: BCC, Spring 2013. 1-6. Electronic. Moyer, Steve. â€Å"John Updike Biography. † Neh. gov. N. p. , n. d. Web. 07 Mar. 2013. Schirack, Maureen. â€Å"Toni Cade Bambara. † Voices From the Gaps, University of Minnesota. Ed. Lauren Curtright. N. p. , 11 Aug. 2004. Web. 07 Mar. 2013. Updike, John. â€Å"A&P. † Blackboard. ed. ENG 102-329. Ed. Gina Yanuzzi. Mount Laurel: BCC, Spring 2013. 1-8. Electronic.